First anniversary of Holey Artisan attack

On this day our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the 22 victims of the most horrendous terrorist attack at Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1, 2016. We mourn with them the loss of nine Italians, seven Japanese, five Bangladeshis (one of them also a US citizen and two police officers) and one Indian. Many of the foreigners had come to this country to help with its development.

The brutality of the attack and deliberate singling out of foreigners or those not considered 'proper Muslims' have brought to the fore a different dimension to religious terrorism. It was an attack on our syncretic culture and has left us with deep psychological and emotional wounds. The devastating blows to our economy in the aftermath of the attack, which caused the hospitality and tourism industry the most harm and adversely affected foreign investment, indicate that there was a clear goal to cripple the country. There were sporadic attacks on foreigners before the July 1 attack which hint at a long-drawn-out plan to mar Bangladesh's image abroad. 

So far our government's continuous efforts to raid terrorist dens and arrest militants have been fairly successful. But that does not mean that militant activities have stopped or that there is no longer a threat of an attack. Legal loopholes that allow suspected militants to obtain bail so that they can commit crimes, and unchecked spread of militant ideology in prisons and places of worship and education are some of the key factors that have to be addressed immediately. The July 1 attackers were educated youths from well-to-do families. How and where were they indoctrinated to commit such heinous crimes in the name of religion? What about other such youths who have accepted this twisted ideology? Where are they?

These are crucial questions that we need answers to. Alongside the constant vigilance, security measures and operations to unearth terrorist dens, we must all work together to spread a counter-narrative to militant ideology. Without this all counter-terrorism efforts will be in vain.